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I confess I initially had reservations about this smoke with a name that first came to prominence about 100 years ago with speedy cars and has, in recent years, become attached to fashion, leather, lighters, watches, and other luxury items.

But I also realize that judging by a name makes no more sense than judging by looks or any other superficial trait. So I lit one up wondering what I’d find.

What I found was an excellent cigar.

The Ambassador line features a beautiful Ecuadorian wrapper, a Dominican binder, and Nicaraguan filler. The Robusto (5 x 52) has an MSRP of $9.50. There’s also a $10 Toro.

The Ambassador has a nice peppery start that mixes with an earthiness in the first third. Those flavors mingle nicely in the middle and then pepper kicks back up in the final third, along with a delicate sweetness.

Construction, burn, and smoke production were excellent in all three samples. Strength is medium.

You may remember Bugatti cigars from a few years ago when brand owner Yigal Harel worked with Nick Perdomo to produce a line under the Bugatti name. But that collaboration ended, and the cigar now comes from Harel’s Bugatti Group, which is working with two factories in the Dominican Republic, according to company vice president Julian Correa.

Reflections of the supercar can be found on the bands. The main one features a somewhat similar “B” logo, while the smaller, red second band has a design reminiscent of Bugatti’s honeycomb grills.

I recommend this Robusto, especially for fans of Nicaraguan pepper. I think you’ll be as pleasantly surprised as I was. I give the Bugatti Ambassador four stogies out of five.